


adjusting

by soggywormcircus



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Apotheosis, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, finally I get to use this beautiful tag, this is probably the least angsty thing I've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22184821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soggywormcircus/pseuds/soggywormcircus
Summary: Ted runs his finger over Charlotte's knuckles, and covers the space on her finger where a wedding ring would be. He takes a moment to marvel at the fact that there is none, that Charlotte keeps her wedding ring in a box in a drawer next to the other jewelry now and that there's no reason for Ted to leave before the sun comes back up.
Relationships: Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 39





	adjusting

**Author's Note:**

> canon? i don't know her

'Are you sure this is a christmas movie, Ted?', Charlotte asks. She's taken Ted's hand to cover her eyes, but she's smiling that tiny smile, the one you can barely see but that is still definitely there. 

Ted has a short look at John McClane making his barefooted way over the shattered glass and smirks. 'Well, it's about christmas, isn't it?' 'Still,' Charlotte says. Ted feels her eyelashes brush over his hand. It's nice. 'It's a little violent.' 'It's a classic,' Ted says with a shrug, then he puts a hand on her knee. 'Scene's over, babe.' 

Ted pulls his hand away from Charlotte's face. She doesn't fight it, but doesn't let go of it either. Ted runs his finger over her knuckles, and covers the space on her finger where a wedding ring would be. He takes a moment to marvel at the fact that there is none, that Charlotte keeps her wedding ring in a box in a drawer next to the other jewelry now and that there's no reason for Ted to leave before the sun comes back up. Then he focuses back on the now. 

'We don't need to keep watching if you don't want to,' he says. He's surprised by how soft his voice sounds, so unlike him and yet comfortable. 'We could watch something else. Or we could always show up at Paul's place a little earlier.' Charlotte shakes her head, scoots closer and leans her head on Ted's shoulder. 'No, I like this,' she says, 'it just takes a little adjusting.' 

That makes Ted smile. 'I'm sure it does.' 

Charlotte looks away two more times before the movie ends, but this time she buries her face in Ted's chest instead. Ted puts his arms around her and every time it takes them a little longer to let go of each other. 

'Did you like it?, Ted asks when the credits roll. He's only half serious, but Charlotte still nods. 'It was definitely entertaining.' She looks at the screen and chews her lip in that way that indicates she's nervous. 'I’m sorry I missed so much of it.' 

'Are you kidding me?', Ted says lightly, 'in exchange for this?' He pulls Charlotte back onto his chest and runs his fingers through her hair. ‘It was worth it.' 

He wishes he could explain it to her properly. How ridiculously lucky he's feeling to hold Charlotte, hell, to just sit next to her and spend an evening without the third looming presence between them. How easy and light he feels. How much he loves this, and how much he loves her. 

But he can't, not now at least, and so this will have to do.

And it's enough, because Charlotte laughs and it's more than he could have hoped for. 

He presses a kiss to the top of her head. Charlotte looks up. She brushes a loose strand of hair from between his eyes back into place, and she smiles. What else is Ted supposed to do but kiss her?

Kissing her also feels different these days. There used to be some sort of petty spitefulness to it, almost something competitive. Ted had thought of Charlotte's wedding ring every time they kissed, no matter how soft or gentle. But now, when he holds her hand, it's not there anymore. He smiles, and it breaks the kiss. 

'How much time do we have?', Charlotte asks. Her breath is warm against Ted's jaw. 

Ted has a look at the clock above the TV. 'About forty minutes? We should probably get going.' 

Charlotte nods. She leans back, and for a moment, they just sit there like this. Charlotte on his lap, her hands cradling his face. Ted closes his eyes, for just a second. Then, he grins. 

'We could always bail, though. I'm sure they'll be fine without us.' 

Charlotte shakes her head, but she is still smiling. 'Don't pretend you're not looking forward to it.'

Ted really is, which is a little insane. This is by far not his usual was to spend the holidays. Usually he would get drunk and stare at his phone hoping Charlotte would text him, which she only ever did once the holidays were over.

But Charlotte is here now. 

‘Well yeah, what can I say,’ Ted grins. ‘It’s christmas, might as well have a party.’ 

Charlotte smiles a sickeningly sweet smile and then gets out of Ted’s lap. ‘Do you remember where we put the presents?’ 

Ted, sprawled on the couch, has a look at Charlotte walking around his living room like it’s hers and like it’s always been, and almost forgets that she’s asked a question at all. ‘Shit, uh, didn’t we put them by the front door?’ 

Charlotte claps her hands. ‘Right, I remember.’ She walks towards the hallway and stops in her steps at the window. ‘Oh, Ted!’ She sounds absolutely delighted. ‘You need to see this, get up!’

‘What’s going on?’, Ted asks, getting up from the couch and walking over. Before he even has a look out of the window, he sneaks an arm around Charlotte’s waist and pulls her close. If he’s being unusually clingy, Charlotte doesn’t mention it. He forgets that thought as soon as he looks out of the window. ‘Oh shit.’ He takes Charlotte’s hand into his. ‘Would you look at that.’

It’s been cold as hell in Hatchetfield the entire month. But this is the first time it’s actually snowing. 

Ted can see the office building from here. It looks so much nicer covered in snow. Almost like a place he’d look forward to going to. 

‘Isn’t it pretty?’, Charlotte says next to him. Ted looks down on her; her hair is undone and the curls are all over the place, she’s wearing one of Ted’s sweaters over her own, and there is the brightest smile on her face. 

Ted smiles. ‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘it sure is.’ 

Charlotte looks up at him. ‘Ted,’ she says with a shake of the head. ‘You’re not even looking at it.’ ‘I know babe, sorry’. Ted grins. He puts a hand on Charlotte’s cheek and traces her eyebrow with his finger. Charlotte closes her eyes, and Ted kisses her. He kisses her forehead, her cheeks, and then the top of her nose. 

Charlotte chuckles at that. It’s a silly little thing that they’ve only began doing after the divorce. Ted remembers the first time, at the party the office threw for her after she signed the papers, the first time Ted saw her without her ring. 

He’d been waiting to get a chance to catch her alone that entire evening, and when he did and Charlotte smiled at him like that he felt way too overwhelmed to even think properly, or to remember that the Ted Thing in this situation would be a stupid line that's two intonations away from crossing the line, a douchey grin and maybe a sloppy kiss. I

Ted found himself at a loss for words entirely. Charlotte, on the other hand had spent her entire night being congratulated by everyone that got the chance to and was now glowing, and probably lived in a world in which anything was possible. At least for that moment, in which she said, 'Aren't you going to kiss me?', in that teasing tone that pulled away the ground from underneath Ted's feet. 

He did, then. Right on her nose. He wasn't too flustered to kiss her on the lips or anything like that. He also didn't fear it would be too much, and the thought of kissing Charlotte for the first time after the divorce was not something that scared him at all. He just. Thought it would be funny. 

And it doesn't matter anyway, because Charlotte loved it, and the hug she pulled him into made the entire panic well worth it. 

And now they are here. So who is the real idiot, huh?

'Didn't you say we should get going?', Charlotte teases gently. 

‘Yes, shit, I know,’ Ted mutters into Charlotte’s neck. ‘Just give me a minute.’

Charlotte laughs softly. She puts her arms around Ted and buries her face in his chest. 

In a couple minutes, they’re going to leave the apartment, lock the door, and drive to Paul’s and Emma’s apartment. Right now, they have a lot of time at their hands, but they’re probably going to be late anyway. It’s gonna be alright, though. 

Bill will also be there, presumably with his daughter who’s visiting him during the holidays. Paul is going to have a huge dinner prepared he is very excited about. It probably won’t be perfect, but everyone will love it, anyway. 

They’re going to spend a nice evening with their friends, and Ted is going to stare at Charlotte the entire time. He’s probably going to get teased for it from all sides, but for a change he won’t give a single fuck. He’s just gonna have fun. 

But right now, he’s here, in this apartment, and Charlotte is right here with him, and there’s nothing and no one they’re hiding from. Charlotte’s breath is warm against his chest, and hell, if he died right here, right now, he wouldn’t even mind. 

Ted chuckles. There’s absolutely no doubt that this is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to him. It took, and is still taking, some adjusting. But this is the first time Ted has something that he doesn’t want to lose. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
